1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to seatbelts. More particularly, it relates to a seatbelt construction where a belt that extends across the body of the strapped individual has opposite ends securely anchored to anchor strap members that are fixedly secured to the back of the seat upon which the strapped individual is seated.
2. Description of the prior art
The benefits of seatbelts are so well known that many states have now passed laws requiring their use. Many inventors have developed improvements to seatbelts over the years, but the art has heretofore failed to provide seatbelts of high versatility.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,776 to Dillender (1968) shows a seatbelt construction that adds a child harness to the basic seatbelt construction. The device has utility, but has only one operable configuration.
Another 1968 U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,633 to Aizley, shows a seatbelt construction that includes a harness and which is laterally positionable along a laterally extending seat, but other than its lateral adjustability, the apparatus is not otherwise versatile.
A seatbelt specifically designed to retain a child's seat is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,633,965 to Norman (1972).
A safety restraint for animals riding in vehicles is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,204 to Friedman (1982). That restraint includes a pair of parallel strap members securely anchored to the back of a seat and a harness for an animal having straps that are independently attachable to the parallel strap members.
Other patents of interest include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,321,247 to Dillender (1967), 3,463,545 to Curran (1969), 4,341,422 to Cunningham (1982) and 4,632,425 to Barratt (1986).
Most seatbelt configurations rely heavily on lap belts that have been known to cause rather than prevent injury. Moreover, many vehicles, such as school buses, have bench-type seats that are not equipped with seatbelts of any kind. Thus, there is a need for a seatbelt construction that protects passengers without injuring them, and there is a need for a construction that would be suitable for use on school buses and similar vehicles.